4 Questions for Dan Lorang (Head of Performance)
When is the best time for a training camp?
The time for a training camp depends on the goals of the camp. For a good base preparation, it makes sense to go in February or March to a training camp to accumulate some solid number of training hours in good weather conditions and without any other duties to do. In a camp you can do more load as at home because you don´t have to do your regular job, what has a big impact on a better recovery. A second good spot for a two-week training camp is 4 weeks before your main event.
How do I get fit when I don’t have that much time during the week?
Training load is a combination of volume and intensity. So, for session where you don´t have a lot of time, it makes sense to do an intensity session like for example a VO2max training. On the weekend you can do your long endurance rides.
What kind of training should I do indoor and what maybe not?
Indoor training is perfect to do the hard and short sessions, especially when you don´t have a lot of time. You can start with the program from the first minute on and you don´t lose time by riding through the traffic before you can start your real training session. On the indoor trainer you can precisely adjust the intensity and adjust it according to your training goals. For long rides and for learning technical skills like downhill riding, cornering, accelerations, …, I would recommend to do this sessions outside and to enjoy the beautiful nature.
Does riding slowly in winter make me faster in summer?
A good endurance performance in the summer needs some good base work in the winter. Slow training allows you to do longer rides which are also important for example for capillarization and for metabolic adaption. But that doesn´t mean that you just have to go slowly in the winter. A good combination of different training intensities is the right cocktail to be successful in the summer. A ration of 90:10 with easy:hard training is an optimal choice. But be careful, too much intensity in the winter is much harmfully as too much slow training at the period of the year.
5 Questions for Robert Gorgos (Head of Nutrition)
How do I get rid of the Christmas/winter weight (in a healthy way)?
Losing weight is only possible with an energy deficit, you need to expend more than you put in your body. The healthy way is a slight deficit over a longer period of time (until you reach your desired weight), not more than 10%. If you cut more than that the risk of overeating later, a vulnerable immune system, a decrease in training quality and recovery, muscle loss and even a shift in hormonal balance is possible. Therefore you need a plan!
What can I do to boost my immune system during this time of the year?
That´s a good question... and is discussed a lot. From a nutritional standpoint a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit, for example broccoli, onions, berries, fresh herbs and spices and the inclusion of fibre from whole grain, nuts, seeds and some probiotics (in kefir, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, natural yogurt, sauerkraut) is a good idea. Try to eat a diet containing some of those foods every day to "support" your microbiome, maybe check your vitamin D status and take some zinc and vitamin C (this might help in case of a mild infection to shorten the time of sickness, maybe...).
What and how much should I eat during my rides?
Depends... on your performance level and therefore energy and carbohydrate expenditure. For a medium trained cyclist with a Vo2max of let´s say 55 and a bodyweight of 75kg I would recommend to have around 40g carbohydrates from carbohydrate drinks, bars and gels in easy workouts (base training) and around 60-80g if doing harder workouts like sweetspot or Vo2max training. This is per hour! Drink enough, especially when training indoors, this can be between 0.5 and 1.5l, per hour...
Nutrition for an indoor workout
Normally you don´t train that long, therefore the energy expenditure is not super high. If you go 1hr around 40g carbohydrates will be enough, even if doing intervals. Focus on a varied healthy diet in the meals around your workout. Like already said, if only doing 1hr the expenditure is not that high. If you go longer, comparable to outside, it is pretty much the same like training outside. You might need more fluids due to more sweat loss though.
Nutrition during a training camp: Mistakes and No Gos
Eat enough carbohydrates, fuel your workouts well, have a recovery shake after your workouts, never really get hungry on your rides. Eat frequent meals and don´t center all your energy intake around dinner. The higher training load is a big stress, not only for your muscles but also for your immune system.
No Gos: alcohol, fasted trainings, low carb, low protein, no vegetables/fruit... no training nutrition.